I looked up at the large building that stood before me. Walls made of cobbled stone and smooth concrete towered over me as the crowds pushed and pulled around me, wary of the iron gate that was in front of me. The bars were made of pure iron that sealed the castle off from the main kingdom.

I gulped as I continued to stare at the great fortress where heavy amounts of guardsmen would patrol daily. Two large men stood by the gate. They wore burly armor made of the finest materials and held weapons that could pierce the thick hide of the barrenbeasts of the plains that surrounded Nilia.

My own armor clanked as I nervously walked up to the guards. The silver coated plates rubbed against each other as the Kong’s castle crawled closer with increasing intensity. I was almost to the gate when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. Chills swept up my spine as a squeak of surprise left my throat.

“Where do you think you’re going, rookie?” I turned my head to see a familiar face among the strange crowds.

Commander Roker stood behind me in his ceremonial armor that consisted of the royal colors of green and black. He wielded two long swords that hung by his waist and glistened in the harsh sunlight. His strong hand still rested on my shoulder as his haughty laugh boomed across the plaza.

“You know you can’t enter through those gates without a senior guard! I told you to wait for me, young long.”

“Ah, yeah, about that. I, um, well, a woman ran by me screaming about her runaway spiked rooster and I, well, wandered off to help her?” I muttered nervously, hoping my white lie would somehow appease this strong and terrifying man. I received a rough slap on the back that pushed the air out my lungs. I bent over as he laughed again.

“Well, as long as it was for a noble cause, then I guess disobeying my orders can slide just this once.” He pulled his hand back and began to walk towards the gate. I rubbed my back as I started after him.

“Yeah, finding a dumbass chicken is noble...” I mumbled, eyes becoming slits as I thought about it. “I sometimes do not get you, sir.”

“Hmm, what was that?”

“N-nothing!”

“Ah, well, look sharp Sonorus for we are about to walk into the King’s own abode.” He looked over his shoulder to flash a toothy smile which did nothing to calm my nerves.

As we approached the gate, many people behind us stopped to watch. Some had faces of awe and wonder while others held disgruntled and nervous glares that stood in stark contrast to the usual mood of Eowawin’s main plaza. Once again, nerves swept up my spine as I looked away from the people and back to the gate. The two guards stared at us inquisitively as if they were studying us and deciding to let us pass.

I stood behind Roker as the two men crossed their spears. The sharp ends glistened in the sunlight as their voices broke through the chattering of the crowds. Stone and emerald eyes met my seaweed green ones as the one of the guards looked to Roker.

“State your business here.”

“Oh, you know me, Thorn. The usual audience with the King so if you wouldn’t mind me stepping on through..-“

“No can do, sir. We are gonna need you to take your helmet off. King’s orders.” I frowned, understanding why this man’s name was Thorn. Prickly and not fun to touch. Unlike a rose thorn, though, this man was no flower.

“Ah, when did they become so strict?” Roker seemed to pout under his helmet before letting out a defeated sigh. He quickly pulled off his helmet, revealing chestnut locks that were trimmed to hang at one side. A broad and sturdy face gazed down at the lower ranking guardsmen as storm-gray eyes flickered with playfulness.

“Told you it was me.” He chuckled, sliding his helmet back on as the two guards looked at each other before nodding.

“Sorry, Commander, but with having that good for nothing thief steal The Majesty’s aiteho, we have to take extra precautions.” The second guard spoke, bringing his gloved hand up to run at the back of his neck.

“Don’t worry about it, son. I get it. But I can’t help but find it foolish to believe that the girl will come back. Who in their right mind would do that?” Roker shrugged as he hummed his thoughts. “But cautions are cautions and I can’t argue against them. Good luck on your duty, you two. Me and my young student must be on our way now.”

The two nodded as they removed their spears from the gate. The one called Thorn quickly pulled on a lever. With a loud whine, the gate pulled free of the wall and opened up to reveal a massive but stunning courtyard that led to the castle’s entrance. A fountain stood in the middle of the court with a water sprite in the center of glory. Curtains of water flowed from her cupped hands before diving into the fountain basin. Multiple types of fish flourished in the translucent liquid. Their bright colors flashed in the noon sun that consisted of reds, blues, greens, and calicos. Flowers and flora surrounded the many paths that wound through the courtyard. Their caretakers lingered in the bright sun, snipping and trimming at the leaves and buds that grew in great numbers.

“Woah...” I gazed around the courtyard in awe as Commander Roker continued on ahead. I quickly jolted back to reality after realizing he had already reached the main entrance. He was looking back at my dumbfounded expression with amusement.

“Hurry up, Sonorus. We can’t keep the king waiting, now can we?” He flashed me a closed-eyed smile as I struggled to form a response. The King?! Why are we meeting the King?! I thought this was just a castle patrol!

“T-the King?!” I stuttered, face paling in nervousness. “I-I didn’t know we were meeting the King! I thought this was a routine patrol of the grounds. Why are we meeting the King?!”

Roker burst into laughter at my worried cry, finding amusement in my nervous breakdown. He merely turned around to push the gate open with his large hands. The doors whined as they swung inwards, revealing glossed floors and marbled ceilings that stood meters above us. Columns lined the interior with stained-glass windows sitting in between the massive foundations.

The windows depicted the past victories of the Kingdom. The battle of Pyrei where our

kingdom, Eowawin, went to war against the indigenous tribes of the Northern Pyrei mountains. It was the most recent of our nation’s turmoils. The tribes of Pyrei were encroaching on our farmlands and forcing the game away from our hunting grounds so our King had demanded the removal of the tribes from our lands. The tribes fought back; however, and proved to be more violent than first thought. To summarize the lengthy history lesson, after a year or two of guerilla warfare from the tribespeople, we had managed to push them back into mountains. Or so, we were told. No one really knows the true outcome of that skirmish nor do we know where the tribesmen went.

Each of the windows told a similar story, all depicting the King’s decisions and glory. Your typical Royal narcissism. It was smothering in a way, like that of a sibling who could do nothing but talk about their achievements and how they were the best.

Roker continued down the lengthy corridor where another large door stood before us. This door was more glamorous than the one that led us in. With a frame that curved to a fine tip, the door was dark in color. The earthly umber colored wood stood in contrast to the grays and silvers of the surrounding architecture. Symbols of golden serpents slithered along the edge of the door before curling around the handles of the door where the symbols gave way to viper heads that held the handles between their long fangs. The snakes’ eyes held green jewels with tiny, magical flames dancing in the emerald orbs.

“Magic?” I murmured which caught the attention of Roker.

“Yes, this castle is full of the stuff. The Majesty has many Holders that bring this place to life. You won’t go more than two feet without seeing some of their creations. Watch this, rookie.” Roker winked at me as he approached the door. As his figure neared the handles, the emerald flames grew in size as the snakes hissed aggressively at his outreached hand. The hissing soon died down to audible words.

“Who goessss there?” The snakehead hissed as its tongue darted in and out as if tasting Roker’s aura.

“Commander Roker of the fourth tier. The King has requested a surprise audience with me and my student.” Roker lifted his finger towards the snake. I yelled out in surprise as the snake whipped forward, sinking a single fang into Roker’s index finger. I watched with chills as the golden serpent pulled back, blood flowing from the fang and into its head. The flames flashed before a hiss of acceptance burst from the metal reptile.

“Accesss granted. King Galteriusss will be with you ssssoon.” The snake slowly moved back against the door, growing still as the flames died back down. The door made a loud metallic thud as it swung towards us. Gears and locks that were now visible turned and whined as the effort to pull the door open tugged at their hinges.

Roker brought his finger to his mouth, sucking on it as he walked in.

“Always hurts. Damn snakes.” He mumbled around his finger. I quickly followed after him, jumping as the door whirled shut behind me. I blinked in slight terror as I turned back around. This was a significantly smaller room that housed a round table in the middle. The spruce table could easily house fourteen men plus a servant or two with its nine foot diameter. Thirteen spruce chairs surrounded the table. The fourteenth seat was large in comparison to the others with a gold-rimmed back and green-leathered cushions and stood at the very head of the table. I stared at it for a long second before a fireplace caught my attention. It stood behind the head chair. No wood nor charcoal was in the hearth but yet, emerald flames seemed to burn at an intense heat.

Roker tapped me on the shoulder before gesturing to one of the seats beside the head chair. I looked at him as if to ask if he was serious. He only nodded, laughing.

“It is only the three of us today, although guards will be standing at the doors.” He motioned towards the many doors that lined the room. “But, it will only be us talking to the King.”

“You said he requested our audience. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” I questioned, the knots in my stomach only becoming more twisted. Roker only chuckled before taking the seat opposite to mine. His right hand motioned for me to sit down as his left quickly unclipped the swords at his sides. He let the weapons drop to the floor before kicking them under the table. I took the seat as I awaited his answer.

“It usually would be, but because of the odd circumstances, the King requested our assistance.” A servant opened one of the side doors as he rushed in with a platter of rolls and ale. I looked at the food in slight shock.

“Ah, just a little something from The Majesty as an apology for his long absence. He will be here shortly.” The servant bowed before scuttling off like a crab from a cook’s cutting board. I looked at the rolls before deciding not to eat. The knots in my stomach would just cause me to cough them back up. Roker coughed as he picked up a mug of ale, drinking as my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

“Do you mean the situation with the thief? What does he expect us to do? Let alone me? I’m just a rookie.” I looked to the side, lifting my hand to run it through my ash-blond hair. Stormy eyes met my forest green ones as Roker stared at me. He sighed, lowering his mug before wiping at his upper lip.

“Listen here, Balor. I know this has something to do with that thief, but I can’t answer all of your questions. Which is one reason why we are here. I’m just as surprised as you about this meeting, but if the King wants us, then he wants us. It’s better not to question it.” Roker lifted the mug back against his lips before speaking once more. His voice was muffled by the cup as he spoke into it.

“I am guessing the thief keeps alluding his capture teams which is a feat considering she is alone.” He laughed. “The King has his hands tied, doesn’t he?”

“That I do, Commander.” Roker nearly spat out his drink, turning in his seat to cover up his coughing. I jumped as a gravelly tone filled the room. I glanced over my shoulder to gaze at a large man who looked to be in his late forties. Amber-colored eyes stood on a lean but sturdy face with short salt-peppered hair which was most likely from age. A short beard adorned his chin while dark-colored skin seemed to radiate with power. The King stood with broad shoulders and a confident stance. He made his way to the head of the table before sitting down with the seriousness of a lion.

Battler armor adorned his body which stood out the most. Why is he wearing armor?! Is a thief that much of a threat?! I gulped as his eyes glided over me. His eyes narrowed as I quickly looked to the table. I already felt the sweat forming on my brow. His attention turned to Roker as the commander seemed to regain his composure.

“Sorry, Your Highness, you startled me.” Roker smiled lopsidedly. Just how comfortable is this man?

“Put that smile aside, Commander. This isn’t the time for your foolish attempts at flirtation.” Roker pouted before looking at the table, regaining his seriousness. He looked back up as the King turned his attention towards me. Those critical eyes sent chills up my bones.

“This must be your student, I presume. They get weaker and scrawnier each year, don’t they?” While my face remained straight, I felt my insides deflate as the internal need to cry took over. The King sighed before sitting up straight.

“You wonder why I brought you here, yes?” Both me and Roker nodded as the King stared us down.

“You both know of the little skirmish that happened in this castle just a few days ago. I heard you talking about it as I entered. Roker, you are entirely correct. The thief does keep evading my attempts to capture her, but you seem to be missing a few key details.” Roker looked at the King in mild curiosity.

“That bottom-dwelling thief is not alone. To evade a whole army, she has to have help and I think I know exactly who is helping her.” The King yawned as if this bored him. I found it interesting, unlike the King. I felt myself straighten with curiosity as the King continued.

“An asset from our-” He seemed to stall as he looked over to me. Those startling amber slits dug into my soul as he gazed at me. He looked to Roker questioningly.

“It is quite alright, sire. This one has proved his worth.” Roker chuckled, winking at me. I blinked with gratitude as the King coughed and continued.

“Right. An asset from our laboratories escaped a few years ago. Subject 2243156 was the first and only in its sector to pass the tests. It was able to accept and retain our experiments when the others only fell victim to the side effects. Sightings of 2243156 have been reported across Eowawin. Most of the cases report the asset to be alone, but the more recent cases have been told that he was with another, much smaller figure. The witnesses all testify that the figure was female, although they wore a black cloak.” The King stood to his full height. He slowly walked behind his chair, stalling in front of the fire. The embers reflected in his eyes which gave them an unsettling emerald glow.

“It is believed that the figure was the thief for she had the same details that the guards reported the night she snuck in here.” Something was off for the King’s hand was twitching. He stared into the fire with an increasing malice that caused the room to grow colder.

“With the thief and the asset working together, they are much stronger than anticipated.” The King turned once again, staring us down. The room grew silent as both me and Roker waited in anticipation for the King to continue, but nothing followed his last comment. Roker brought his hand up to his lips, coughing into a closed fist.

“In all respect, sire. What are two dulls supposed to do about that? The criminal has already proved that even an army can’t catch her. And if this-this asset you describe makes her even more dangerous, how are we going to stand against it?” The King’s gaze bored into Roker as he sighed.

“Commander Roker, you are the most-skilled commander out of all our tiers. You are also head of the region where the thief was last spotted. Maelstrom, was it?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know the exact details of the incident and where the thief was heading last.” The King’s tone turned icy. “She stole the lifeblood of this Kingdom. The Emerald Heart is not just some aiteho you can buy off of a greedy merchant on the street. It was a cleverly crafted masterpiece that must be returned to me at once. If that thief manages to destroy it, this Kingdom will fall with me, do you understand?” Roker nodded as he gulped.

It was the first time I have seen Roker truly scared. The King who stood before us had immense power in order to make a man at least a couple of inches taller than him scared. I felt my skin grow cold as the King’s eyes turned to me.

“And your little rookie is just what I need to get it back.” I felt my insides curl as his words bounced inside my head. Why choose me? What significance did I have? I’m just a Dull, someone who couldn’t use magic. I am not even a full-fledged royal soldier yet, wasn’t there someone more skilled than me who could be of help?

“What do you mean, sire?” Roker looked worried for me which really set my fears alight.

“Look at the boy, Roker. He is just out of the nest, barely able to take on a barrenbeast with his sword. Do you think he looks threatening?”

Ow. There goes my self-esteem. I wanted to curl into a ball and fall asleep against the cold floor. This wasn’t how I wanted my first meeting with the King to go.

“No, sire, but isn’t that the opposite of what you want? The thief can surely kill this kid in a heartbeat.” I let out a tiny squeak in fear. Both the King and Roker looked at me before continuing.

“Right, you are, but this girl has proved that she won’t kill. Many of the guards report the sickening threats she has told them, but she never acted on them. She chose to let my men run away with fear rather than killing them on the spot. If this Rookie runs into her, I doubt his life will end. But the asset is another issue. The beast had mutilated bodies. When 2243156 escaped containment, multiple personel couldn’t be identified for their limbs were thrown multiple feet from their bodies. Blood filled the experiment rooms to the point where you couldn’t walk without stepping in a pool of it every foot. When creating that beast, the scientists forgot how much rage their experiment would bring and what amounts of hormones would surge through the bones of the creature. That asset is a walking killing-machine and shouldn’t be dealt with alone.” Roker seemed to get angry at this.

“Then why send Balor into that animal’s jaws?! Why waste soldiers when you can send your eagles to pick that thing off!” The King didn’t look surprised as a small smirk slithered across his lips.

“Oh, Commander. Balor won’t be fighting them. Which is why he is going alone. Your little student will be infiltrating their ranks.” Roker froze as the room took on a heavy silence. After what felt like hours of pure silence, Roker’s small voice could be heard over the crackling of the flames.

“What?”

The King burst into laughter at the fear-induced panic that spread across my face as I took in all that he said. My mouth seemed to go dry as my heartbeat picked up. Millions of questions flew through my head, but the crackling of the flame seemed to grow louder, drowning out the doubt-filled voices. I looked at Roker. Please don’t let him send me out there. I just finished my lessons. I just want to patrol the wall. Please, Roker. Please. Roker’s eyes flew to mine before looking at the King again. After a few moments, his storm-eyes seemed to fly to ground in defeat.

I felt my heart crumble as the man who I considered my father look away in utter disbelief. I realized he couldn’t do anything to help me. The King had made his decision and that was that. I was going to die at the ripe age of 21. This man was with me through the five long years of training. I watched his eyes light up in pride as I was given my first guard helmet at the town plaza. To see this man unable to help me, unable to do anything under the amber eyes of the King, hurt.

“How do you suppose to gain their trust? Because I don’t want to see this boy die at the hands of criminals.” Roker looked at the King with a hard stare. The King only let his laughter die before looking at me.

“That is entirely up to the boy. It is up to him whether he lives or dies.” I swallowed what remaining saliva gathered in my mouth as the King went on. “He will be assigned one of the stable’s best steeds as well as two weeks of provisions. We assume that the little escapade of criminals is only a few days ahead of us. If your student works hard, he will be able to catch up with them within a day or two. As for the asset, we believe that his impulses may be somewhat hindered by the girl, so,” He turned to look at me. “You will need to gain the girl’s trust first. You will need to prove your worth to them and if you see any other guard’s, act aggressive.”

“B-but isn’t that treason?” I stuttered out in disbelief, unable to comprehend what this man was saying.

“No, it isn’t seeing as you are acting under my orders. You will be allowed to kill and harm your fellow soldiers in order to prove your loyalty to them. You will receive no punishment for any act committed. After you have infiltrated that duo’s ranks, you will need to find the right moment to retrieve the Emerald Heart and flee before they find out. Be warned, although the thief may not kill you, she is extremely hostile and will risk injuring you if you pose a threat, so don’t look menacing. Not that you are, anyhow.” The King turned on his heel.

“You will leave tomorrow at dawn, so gather your necessities and say goodbye to your family. You will be doing the Kingdom a great service if you succeed. Oh, and Balor,” I jumped as the King turned to look over his shoulder. “One of my eagles will escort you to the forest they were last seen traveling through, but after that, you are on your own. Good luck, little rookie.” The King chuckled as he stepped through a door. The room grew silent as the fire quickly died after the King’s exit. I looked to Roker who stood in a defeated manner. His head hung low as he sighed.

“I apologize, Sonorus. If I had known the King would choose you, I would have suggested someone else.” He grabbed another ale mug and gulped it down quickly.

“It is okay, Commander. There was nothing you could have done, right?” I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck as I stood up myself. Roker looked to me with sorrow before grabbing his swords and walking out.

“I wish, Balor, I wish.” I stared after his back before reality settled over me. I looked at the ground in disbelief before slowly stumbling after the large man. My thoughts took over as the stunning architecture became a blur in my vision. So I am hunting and infiltrating criminals that could very well kill me? This isn’t what I signed up for when joining the royal guard.

I breathed in a deep breath as the sun hit my skin, shocking me back to the castle grounds. I looked to the sky, seeing the sun setting on the horizon. If it weren’t for the situation, I would have called it beautiful or stunning, but now it only seemed to be a clock ticking against my departure. I looked to my right to see Roker staring at me in knowing. He gave me a pitied stare to which I returned a small smile.

“We need to hurry, young one. You need to pack.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder before quickly tossing up my hair with his other hand. I struggled against his arm but he had already put me in a headlock.

“Ah, Commander, quit! I get it, I get it!” I laughed, finally breaking free from his grasp. Roker laughed with me as we started down the stone path. I looked at the man who walked by my side, the feeling of sorrow rising in the pit of my stomach. I’m gonna miss you, old man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sucked in a breath as the morning air rushed past my locks. The streets seemed barren as I made my way to the stables. Cobbled streets and wooden houses flashed past me as I got lost in the memories. Every wooden sword and every practice shield. The flashing of armor and the blistering heat of summer days. The calls of generals and older guardsmen filled the noon air, but it all seemed to vanish as I stared down the stables that loomed before me.

A pack was strung over my shoulder, filled with clothes and extra weapons plus a few personal items that everyone seems to carry on them at all times. It felt like I was living a part of me behind as I was forced on this mission. It didn’t feel right. Something about all of this felt off. I knew this would be a life changing event but I couldn’t be sure whether that meant my death or not.

The same questions from yesterday still circled my conscience. But, as all know, it was the choice of the King and to go against it, well, meant terrible consequences. I looked up at the sky where oranges and pinks blossomed across the sky as the sun rose lazily against the night sky.

The shrill neigh of a stallion met my ears as I looked up to see a brilliant creature of gray standing before me. Brown, wild eyes met mine as the horse stared at me with leather reins and a metal bit adorning its head.

“Sonorus, meet your companion for the next few days.” I turned to gaze at Roker who stood a few feet away, admiring the dapple-gray stallion. “He’s one of our finest stallions and can outrun the fastest wolf. You’ll catch up to that duo in no time.”

His eyes turned to me. The storm-gray irises gazed at me with pride as he walked over to pat me on the back. He looked away, surely trying to hide the few tears that dotted at his eyes. He coughed before standing straight again. He pointed at the saddlebags attached to the horse.

“Plenty of feed and supplies in those bags, boy. Even more impressive, those bags were enchanted by the Holders of the enchanted-item division. They may look small, but can hold endless amounts of supplies, so use them at will.” He grinned as he patted the horse on the neck.

“Commander, do you think I will survive this?” I muttered, staring at the older man in apprehensiveness.

“Please, kid, call me Roker. And you know I’m not one to sugarcoat things, but knowing you, Sonorus, you’ll find a way to make it through.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. I gave him a small smile before sighing. I looked around the plaza, expecting a larger send-off.

“Ah, yes. The King got held up with political business and couldn't make it.” To Roker’s surprise, I let out a breath of relief. He gazed at me in confusion.

“In all respect to the King, he is intimidating. This is preferable.” I laughed and after a few seconds, Roker joined in.

“I get it, Balor.” To my surprise, Roker pulled me in, embracing me. He rubbed comforting circles on my back before letting go. He looked at me with a smile.

“Your father would be proud, kiddo. I know he would support you completely in this.” I nodded solemnly, fighting back the emotions that clawed in my chest. I turned to the horse, slowly putting my foot in the stirrup and pushing myself onto the creature’s back.

“Does he have a name?” I looked down at Roker.

“Nope. You can name him if you wish. Good luck, kid.” I gazed down at Roker for what felt like the last time. Without hesitation, I hopped back down, hugging him one last time. Roker let out a grunt of surprise before laughing.

“Don’t knock me over, Sonorus. I doubt this is the last we will see each other.” I nodded with hope before mounting up again. I wrapped the reins in my hands as the horse moved impatiently beneath me. I looked over my shoulder as I urged the horse forward. I waved to the Commander one last time.

I looked down at the horse, smiling softly.

“I think I’ll name you Rock.”